When driving in low light conditions, it is imperative that a driver of a vehicle is aware of an external environment. Using the headlights of the vehicle in such conditions is effective in highlighting hazards to the driver, however, some reflective objects can cause high levels of glare to the driver.
If the glare is particularly intense, the driver's vision may be impaired due to the over-exposure to light. Continual overexposure to light can result in increased driver fatigue in the short term and in eye strain in the long term. All of the above affect the ability of the driver to collect important information about their surroundings, which is an important element of driving in low light conditions.
To combat this problem, some lighting systems have attempted to reduce the problems caused by glare to the driver by adapting the headlight beam. For example, DE 1 0201 001 5731 alters the headlight beam of a vehicle based upon reflectance measured by a laser array mounted to the vehicle. Upon identification of a reflective object, the system de-illuminates the object completely.
Another similar system is US 2015/127227, which identifies a road sign based upon a camera image or known information, and reduces the light from the headlight beams upon identification.
At least in certain embodiments, the present invention has been devised to mitigate or overcome at least some of the above-mentioned problems.